In the spirit of International Friendship Day, I spoke with people who’ve gone above and beyond to preserve their friendships.
From a lady who did six months of omugwo for her friend to a guy who gave over 60% of his life savings to save his friend’s mum, these friendships will make you say, “God, when?”
Chinma*
My friend’s mum had a stroke and was admitted to the hospital. She was recovering, and the doctors mentioned she’d be discharged soon. Then, I got a frantic call from my friend saying his mum had relapsed and was moved to the ICU. She needed surgery costing about ₦1.5m, but they could only raise ₦500k after exhausting their savings. At the time, my entire life’s savings was ₦1.8m, which I planned to use to rent my place. But I couldn’t in good conscience proceed after that call. His mum had always treated me like her own and often came through for me. So, I loaned him ₦1m and postponed my move. The day after I sent the money, my friend called to tell me his mum had passed away. He returned the money, and although the loss was painful, it felt good to have been there for a friend in need.
Gbenga*
My friend couldn’t complete his school fees during our final year exams because his parents couldn’t raise the sum. Most lecturers allowed him to write his exams after much pleading, but one lecturer stayed adamant. If my friend had missed the paper, he’d have had an extra year. So, I took the risk of writing the paper for him. I collected two answer booklets and submitted them to two different invigilators. The crazy thing is, my friend didn’t even know. I only told him after I came out of the exam hall. We still laugh about it to this day. During banter, he says things like, “Guy, if not for you, I would have had an extra year.”
Mariam*
During my uni days, I followed my friend to Ghana on an all-expenses-paid trip to meet her man. She had met him online, and they’d been dating for months. When he invited her to Ghana, my friend was reluctant, but he said she could bring someone she trusted. That’s how she asked me to go along. It sounded great at first, but on the day we were set to leave Nigeria, I started to have doubts. What if the guy was dangerous? Why did he want her to bring someone? Why was he footing our bill? Despite the doubts, it was too late to turn back. Thankfully, the trip went well. We were in Ghana for three days, but I couldn’t wait to return home. You have to be special for me to grant a request like that.
Gboyega*
My guy was getting married in Ekiti a week after I bought my first car. About three days before the event, he asked if he could borrow my car since he had given his own to family members for the trip. My car was barely a week old, and I hadn’t even shown it to my parents. But I didn’t want to deny his request, considering he needed it for his special day. He came over, took the car, and I took public transport to Ekiti. I thought I’d drive back to Lagos with my car, but I didn’t get it back until a week later. It wasn’t convenient for me, but he’s my close friend, so I didn’t mind.
Bimbo*
I took a bank loan to help my friend with her japa plans. She and her husband were using the study route but faced visa delays. They thought they had more time to prepare and gather money for their flight, but then they got an email from the school stating that if they didn’t arrive in the UK the following day, her husband would lose the admission. We found someone to help with their tickets, but they didn’t have enough money. So, I took a ₦700k loan to cover the difference. We’d only known each other for six months, but she had proven to be a good friend. She repaid the loan over six months after settling abroad. Now, she randomly sends me money without me asking.
Hadiza*
My friend gave birth to twins, which she wasn’t prepared for. The scan showed only one baby, so she was caught off guard. Sadly, her two mothers-in-law had passed, and she only had male siblings. One day, she called me crying. When I visited, I saw that her husband had hired help, but she wasn’t comfortable with the woman. I joked about helping out, and she jumped at the offer. I moved in the next weekend and stayed until the twins turned six months old. It was exhausting, but I’d do it again for her.
Read this next: An Old and Forgotten Friend Made My Japa Dreams Come True
